Manhattan, NY — The Junction, an American restaurant at 329 Lexington Avenue, received a score of 21 during a health inspection conducted April 1, 2026, placing it near the upper boundary of the Grade B range. The result was released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on April 3, 2026.
A score of 21 falls within the Grade B range but sits six points below the Grade C threshold, leaving limited margin before a more serious classification would apply.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors documented one critical violation during the visit. The citation, issued under Code 06C, identified a failure to protect food, supplies, or equipment from potential sources of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, or service. Specifically, inspectors noted that condiments were not stored in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.
This type of violation is classified as critical because it presents a direct pathway for contamination of food that will be consumed by customers. No non-critical violations were recorded during the same visit.
Food Safety Context
Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and standards aligned with the FDA Food Code, food service operators are required to protect food and food-contact surfaces from contamination at all points in the handling process. Condiments left accessible in open or refillable containers can be exposed to cross-contamination from hands, utensils, or other surfaces.
Critical violations carry greater weight in the scoring system because they are directly associated with foodborne illness risk. A single critical violation can contribute meaningfully to a restaurant's total score, and at The Junction, the single cited violation accounted for the full 21-point score recorded during this inspection.
Inspection History
The Junction's recent inspection record shows variation over the past several years:
- 2024-05-08: Score 2 (Grade A)
- 2023-05-16: Score 23
- 2022-04-19: Score 12 (Grade A)
The restaurant earned Grade A results in both 2022 and 2024. The 2023 inspection produced a score of 23, also within the Grade B range, suggesting a pattern of periodic elevated scores between stronger performances.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system assigns letter grades based on the total point score from a health inspection:
- Grade A: 0 to 13 points
- Grade B: 14 to 27 points
- Grade C: 28 points or more
Points are accumulated through violations, with critical violations generally worth more points than non-critical ones. A lower score reflects fewer or less serious violations found during the inspection.
Inspection records for all New York City restaurants are available through the DOHMH online database at NYC Open Data. Diners can search any establishment by name or address to review full inspection histories, violation descriptions, and posted grades.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for The Junction including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.